Making the Cut
by SmashBallz
Summary: After being cut from Smash 4, Lucas, Ice Climbers, Wolf, and Snake must live together and struggle to find new jobs. They'll meet faces old and new, and comedy is everywhere as a greater plot seems bound to unfold! (Contains roster spoilers for Smash 4, as well as possible swearing and violence.)
1. Chapter 1: Meet the Team

Good evening to you. Today, you will experience the trials and tribulations (not _those_) faced by Solid Snake, Lucas, Ice Climbers, and Wolf O'Donnel as they cope after being cut from Smash 4. DAMN YOU SAKURAI *weeps*

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><p><strong>June 12, 2011<strong>

"Oh, man! I am REALLY feelin' it today!" Wolf shouted as he hopped out of his Landmaster. He had just gotten back from another Smash Bros. tournament. He lost to Meta Knight. Again. He's god tier so nobody even tries to mess with him.

"Yo, Wolf, take a look at this..." Snake said from across the room.

"Aight, fine. But I swear to god, if it's that decapitation video again..."

"It's not." Snake interrupted. Wolf was surprised by Snake's coldness. "They...announced a fourth Smash Bros."

Wolf's eyes widened, bewildered. He had only been a Smasher for three years, but he already knew why new game announcements were bad news.

He could be cut.

He'd been close friends with Roy; he showed Wolf how to be less of a clone. It seemed to work out in the end, as many people lauded Wolf's fighting skills and quick reflexes. Even his Landmaster, although two other Smashers also used it. But when Roy received news of his 'cut' status, he just didn't seem to be the same.

"Whoa, Smash 4? Sounds great!" Cheered Lucas from the hall. Wolf envied the young child's indifference to even the worst situations.

"WOOHOO! SMASH FOUR HYPE! **YEAH!**" Said Popo and Nana. Were they children, or just short adults? Are they siblings, or lovers? Or both? Many questions surrounded the pair, but nobody questioned them, as they've been around for nearly ten years, and veterans are treated with utmost respect in the Smasher community.

"Tsk. Let's hope that we hear our fate soon. Best to face the music as early as possible." Snake mumbled, a bit ticked off by the childlike idiocy coming from Lucas and the Ice Climbers.

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><p><strong>November 28, 2012<strong>

The letters were coming in.

Snake was the first to go. He didn't care, simply scoffing and going back to smoking a cigar after reading the letter.

Next were Ivysaur and Squirtle, a week later. Their Trainer was also told to stay home, and to only send Charizard into battle. The other Pokemon gifted a Mega Stone to the fire-type as a good luck charm.

Three days later, Lucas was cut. He didn't take it well. He fell into depression, occasionally activating PK Fire on accident from his emotions. Many walls were ruined in the house. Snake paid to send Lucas to therapy to cope with his situation.

After that were the Ice Climbers. They stayed oddly calm about it, and bought a Wii U for in the house to play Smash.

Wolf was worried. He hadn't been given a letter at all, so he was left not knowing his fate. While he acted like being cut wouldn't be a big deal, he secretly didn't know what to do if he was cut. All he could do was wait.

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><p>And that's a wrap for Chapter 1. You can thank GameFAQs for this story. I'll try to get another chapter up within the week. Please review and stay tuned!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: Please Understand

_Here's chapter two of Making the Cut. Sorry for already failing to meet a schedule. I'll try to churn out more content soon!_

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><p><strong>December 28, 2012<strong>

The letter came in. Snake sent Wolf a text letting him know, but he forgot the key to their P.O. Box, which meant Wolf had to get it himself. With a stubborn "Fine," the leader of Star Wolf grabbed the key and began his trot to the post office.

As he walked, however, he heard soft sobbing. "But...I can't do this! I'm not c-cut out for it!" The voice belonged to a young female, he deduced, and he turned to see a woman clad in blue being comforted by a man with white hair and a dark robe.

"It's going to be alright. You can do this, Lucina." Wolf thought the two must be lovers, and decided to not invade their personal space. Though he did notice that the girl, or Lucina, as her name must have been, was holding a rather familiar letter. He reckoned that he'd see her again in due time. At last, he made it to the post office. _Still open, thank god, _Wolf mumbled as he pushed open the metal-framed glass doors to the building. He walked over to his P.O. Box, key in hand, mumbling some tune or another. There it was, a cream-colored envelope with a Smash Ball-shaped stamp emblazoned on the rear flap of the packaging. He unlocked the box slowly, heart rate increasing, and he pulled out the letter and tore open the delicate packaging impatiently.

_Dear Mr. O'Donnell of Star Wolf,_

_We humbly regret to-_

Oh, great.

_-inform you that we have decided to-_

No, no, no, here it comes.

_-remove you from the upcoming Super Smash Bros. tournament. We hope you understand our reasoning for this decision. We apologize for the inconvenience._

_Sincerely,_

_The Super Smash Bros. team_

This can not be happening.

How could this happen?

No. NO!

"Those **HEATHENS!**" Wolf snarled, bearing his teeth. Without another word, he walked home, shooting that Lucina lady a bloodthirsty glare as he went.

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><p>"So, Wolfy, how'd it go?" Snake asked, chuckling at the nickname that he knew very well peeved his friend to hell and back.<p>

"Absolutely horrible. I'm cut." Wolf admitted, head hung low.

Snake stared with a blank expression. For a minute, the house was silent, as all of its residents were confirmed to be cut. "I honestly should've seen this coming. I'm just an inferior Fox clone when it comes to Smash." Wolf uttered.

"Don't worry, Wolf." Snake said, putting a gloved hand on his pal's shoulder.

"There's always DLC."

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><p><em>And so ends chapter two. Don't worry, this isn't over yet! I'll leave it to you for now to decide Lucina's opinion of Wolf. Next chapter, we'll see how Lucas and the Ice Climbers are holding up, as well as meeting more of the newcomers! I know I failed getting this chapter out on time, but I promise that the next chapter will be out before the American release date of Smash 3DS (October 3rd). Bye for now!<em>


	3. Chapter 3: Reawakening

_Here's chapter 3! Whew, I took way too long with this one. I apologize for that. But in this chapter, our plot will finally begin!_

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><p>"Happy New Year!"<p>

2013 had begun. It should've been a happy time for all Smashers, cut or not, but our heroes couldn't lift their spirits. Lucas had recently exited therapy, giving them a ray of delight, but the staggering shock of being cut had taken a toll on the crew.

"That's all of us. Snake, Lucas, Popo, Nana, and me. It's been fun." Wolf said, head low, as he announced his status in Smash to his friends.

"Chin up, Wolf. You've still got your job with Andross. And us, of course." Snake said, yet again puffing his cigar, eyes fixated on the newspaper. "It isn't like we can't get by. We can find new jobs. I can put in a few words with Otacon, if you want."

"Thanks for the offer, Snake, but no thank you. I'll find my own work."

Snake handed him the newspaper. "Here, I'm sure you'd find something in here. Tell me what you find." Wolf took the paper and looked at it meticulously. One opening in particular caught his eye.

_Calling all fighters!_

_Have you been cut? Don't worry, because you can still put your skills to good use!_

_We are planning what could be called a "political uprising" to overthrow the ruler of our land, and you can help by joining the Subspace Army!_

_Sign-up forms are available at the Isle of Generations, known during Smash Bros. tournaments as "Battlefield." We will pay upwards of 628,000 G annually._

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><p>Snake almost choked on his cigar when he read the opening Wolf was considering. "Wolf, NO! You are not joining that army! I forbid it!"<p>

"And why is that?" Wolf cocked his head, baring his teeth.

"I...I know the commander of that army. He tried to destroy all worlds around five years ago. His name was one that echoed his plans, and those plans were ones that could've sent everything into chaos. Every Smasher, give or take a few, pitched in to take him down. His name..."

"His name was Tabuu."

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><p><em>In a remote corner of the world...<em>

*CLANG!* A large metal scale was thrown onto a table. At one end was the dastardly King of Evil, Ganondorf. At the other was the Lord of the Koopas, Bowser.

"Here it is. The Fiend's Scale." Ganondorf muttered, worn out from carrying the surprisingly heavy tool.

"Gwahaha! With this scale, we'll make our armies unstoppable!" Bowser sneered, giddy at the accomplishment his right-hand man had done.

"Yes...the Subspace Army will be truly impenetrable!"

The laughter of both kings was a bone-rattling sound that echoed through the night.

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><p><em>Chapter 3! It's done! Sorry I took so long. Some stuff came up and I was busy for a while. I wonder what the Subspace Army is up to...?<em>

_Find out whenever I finish the next chapter! Adios!_


	4. Chapter 4: The Plot Thickens

_As an apology for getting chapter 3 out so late, here's chapter 4! This chapter will be very plot-heavy, but some of the chapter after this will be more comedic than the story's been so far. Thanks for the support!_

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><p><strong>At the Isle of Generations...<strong>

"So how exactly does this thing work?" Bowser groaned, ticked off by the weight and current uselessness of the Fiend's Scale. "We can't do anything with this hunk 'a junk. Can't even weigh myself."

"First off, calm down; we need this scale. It can allow us to intensify the strength of our forces. All we need is at least a fraction of the Master Core's energy." Ganondorf explained.

"But we'd need to revive Master Hand for that. That damn cretin Tabuu showed him the door."

"Yes, true, but all we need to do is get a Smash Ball. The large influx of energy from shattering one will be enough to bring our master back from the grave."

"'Large influx?' Ha, look at Ganon here! He's been using the ol' thesaurus! Hah...*ahem* Well, if a Smash Ball is all we need, I've got one right here." Bowser said, pulling the lustrous sphere from his shell.

"My, my, how convenient. Give it here!" Ganondorf grabbed the Smash Ball from Bowser's claws, and crushed it in his hand. "Gah...! The power...is really, really strong! Gotta do this...real quick!" Ganondorf choked out, the Smash Ball's energy making him hazy and wobbly.

"M-my master, hear my words! It is I, Ganondorf, the King of Evil! I have need for your strength! Come back to us! We need your powers of creation! Come to us! COME BACK!" At this point, Ganondorf screamed, the energy exploding out and forming a cloud of light. This light opened an ominous portal, and out came Master Hand's corpse, glove tattered and dirty. The portal closed, and the energy seeped into Master Hand, healing him and reanimating him.

"GRAAAAAGH! Ngh...rrgh...who...how...wait! B-bowser? Ganondorf?" Master Hand stuttered, consciousness returning to him in waves.

"Welcome back, Master."

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><p><strong>The next day...<strong>

Ignoring Snake's warnings, Wolf snuck out during the soldier's daily glute workouts and was off to Battlefield, or the Isle of Generations, as the Subspace Army called it. When he got there, he only saw two other people, Luigi and Ghirahim.

"I hate being a lousy Assist Trophy! I'll show those neck-breathing know-it-alls the extent of my potential!" Ghirahim snickered to himself as he scrawled out his signature on the forms, licking his lips quite creepily in the process. Luigi was completely silent, filling out the forms with an ambiguous purpose. It was now Wolf's turn to sign up.

The forms were quite official looking for an army with such a horrible reputation. Some of the first questions were no-brainers. "What is your age?" "On a scale from one to ten, how athletic would you rate yourself?" "Have you fought in a previous Smash Bros. tournament?" Some of the later questions were a bit unnerving. "Do you find delight in killing?" "Do you enjoy using weaponry?" "Is your family still alive?"

Wolf still answered the questions truthfully, even if they were a tad creepy. He'd have to explain his absences at home, though, especially to Snake.

"Ridley. We're good pals. He'll stick up for me." Wolf thought, remembering that Ridley owned a small business and was a reputable stock broker. Wolf figured he could get Ridley to fabricate a story to cover up Wolf's disappearances.

And so he did. Although the purple space dragon refused to lie, he eventually gave in and made a fake job account and records for Wolf. "Great, now Snake will never find out." Wolf thought, even though in his heart he knew he was not doing the right thing.

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><p>"So why exactly did you two revive me? I was actually having a good time in the afterlife, you know." Master Hand asked.<p>

"We need power from the Master Core. We're bringing back the Subspace Army." Bowser said bluntly.

"...I'm sorry, but...if you need the Master Core, the energy from summoning it will make me very weak, and I won't be able to help you. You'll be on your own." Master Hand muttered, clenching his fist. "I'm fine if you need to do it, but just keep this in mind."

"Understood, Master. Please help us, just this once."

"Affirmative. Give me a moment." Master Hand's glove then ripped open, and a black mass of dark energy torrented out from the hole. After the energy stopped flowing out, Master Hand grabbed it, encasing it in a crystallized, Smash Ball-like container. He held out the orb. "This is the Master Core. Inside is a malicious entity known as the Swarm. If you need to release the Swarm, do so only in the most important situations. I wish you both good luck. We shall meet again soon..."

And with that, Master Hand left to his home at Final Destination. Ganondorf and Bowser looked at the Master Core, speechless.

"I can feel the power." Bowser said. "Let's get this scale working, and our army back in business. Time to rule the world!"

"Couldn't have said it better." Ganondorf cheered. They put the Master Core on the Fiend's Scale, and trophies of various enemies they'd saved from those years ago. The scale gleamed, and soon, the invincible Subspace Army would be upon the world.

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><p><em>END OF CHEEEAPTER!<em>

_Whew. Really wanted to get another chapter out, seeing as I had nothing to do today, and so, here is an extra long chapter. Hopefully I get the chapters longer in general, because I had a feeling that it was a big complaint with the story so far. After this, I'll start focusing on our heroes' quest for new jobs. Until next time!_


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